KARACHI: A heavy contingent of Rangers raided Nine Zero, the headquarters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), in Karachi's Azizabad neighbourhood on Wednesday morning, prompting a protest by party activists and a subsequent call for a day of "peaceful mourning" across the country.

A number of party workers, including member of MQM's Rabita Committee Amir Khan, were detained during the raid. Rabita Committee is MQM's central coordination cell.

The operation was managed and executed by members of the paramilitary force alone and there was no sign of local police in the area.

A large number of party workers including member of MQM's central coordination cell Amir Khan were arrested by Rangers during the raid. - Reuters

The Rangers' raid at the headquarters of one of the largest political parties in the country today appears to have symbolic significance in the Karachi operation that has been underway since October 2013.
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Rangers have authority, not justice: Altaf

MQM Chief Altaf Hussain in a telephonic address denounced the raid by Rangers on Nine Zero.

Following is a summary of his address:

Altaf said that this was the first time that the house of a political party chief was raided
Addressing Rangers personnel, he remarked that Rangers have authority but they are unable to deliver justice
He said that the establishment does not tolerate MQM's presence
He maintained that the ammunition seized from Nine Zero by Rangers does not belong to MQM. He further said that if the weapons belonged to MQM, they would not have been stored in Nine Zero
He claimed that the ammunition recovered was planted by Rangers personnel themselves, who carried it inside concealed in blankets
Altaf demanded that "terrorism in the name of search operations" be stopped
He claimed that more than 60 people were arrested during the raid by Rangers
He said that the demise of party worker Waqas Ali Shah has deeply upset him.
Party office bearer killed: MQM

MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil said a senior party office bearer, Waqas Ali Shah of the central information committee was killed by Rangers during the raid.

Jalil said that Shah was killed in straight fire by Rangers personnel around 7:45am Wednesday morning. â€œDozens of mobiles of Rangers appeared at Nine Zero around 6 am. Personnel proceeded to raid the 50 offices in our headquarters. They went to each office, went through all the files and broke telephones.â€

A picture showing Waqas Ali Shah of MQM's central information committee who the party says was killed in the raid. Photo courtesy: Facebook

Additional Inspector General (IG) Sindh police Ghulam Qadir Thebo, while speaking to DawnNews, said that Shah was not shot by Rangers personnel, but that the bullet was fired from a hand-held gun.

A rickshaw was torched in Gulistan-i-Jauhar area of Karachi. -DawnNews screengrab
A rickshaw was torched in Gulistan-i-Jauhar area of Karachi. -DawnNews screengrabRangers Director General (DG) Major General Bilal Akbar has said that MQM activist Shah did not die of gunfire by Rangers personnel. He added that the young man was shot with a TT pistol and the fact would become clear once the medical board's report is received.

A Rangers spokesperson said no one was killed during the raid but that 'unidentified men' opened fire injuring an Express News cameraman.

Rangers personnel after breaking barricades leading to MQM headquarters cordoned off the area and searched through departments of the party's offices .They also raided adjoining houses and arrested a number of MQM activists and leaders.